Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-03-19
BADLY swIsDLsD
A poeton swindIsr Makes . Victim Of
xR,It,am Book OF Delaware City.

~
william Book OF Delaware City.
william Beck, minoe meat msnufac
turer of Delaware City, has been swim
dled ont OF 81, ,S2s by William G. Hick-
man. q Boston swindler, pretending 70
he en- az cd 10 establishing . sugarine
man ufactory. But Hickman Ia sharper
Of the first water, and has succeeded In
cheating his creditors In New York,
Bostou and other places, and Ia now 70.
moved 10 Canada, where he resides In
splndor with bis fashionable wife on
The S4O. 900 which be has taken from his
Victims. Mr.. Beck was In the city on
Thursday and had with him . copy Of
the Boston Herald, which contained
about six columns describing the swim
dler's operations and hts mode OF VIC
timizinr the people. The way he vic
timized Mr.. Beck was something like
this:
Last summer he commenced dealing
with him, purchasing from time TO time
small lots Of miucs meat on ten days
time. the terms on viii lh Mr.. Beck sells
his meat, ard he was slways prompt In
having bis bills. The first OF the pres.
ent year he commenced again buy ing,
and pay ing along as usua. Things
went q opg in this way until Mr. Beck
received d an order from Hickma an for 20
barrels Of mince meat, and the next
day be received an order for 80 barrels
more. Mr.. Beck thought that be had
got a large customer for his mince meat,
and had TO supp y moIo hands and work
night and day TO get 1t ready. Hick
man had written TO Mr.. Beck that he
had secuI cd the contract TO furnish sew
eral large bakeries with miEce meat.
Hs had scarcely shipped bis last order
before be received o 80 barrel order
Mr.. Beck by this time grew suspicious,
as he had received no money for hii
other 20 and 80 barrel orders. Confer
ring with some OF his friends he wal
advised 10 send no more until he va:
paid for what he had already sent. he
wrote to Hickman that he wanted pay
for his ether orders, and Hickman RS
piled, saying he would be In Delaware
City Ia few days and settle, ana re
quested Mr.. Beck to tend on the otsel
80 barrels ordered, but Mr.. Beck de
clined doing sc.
A few days afterwards Hickman
wrote from BsTnum's Hotel, Baltimore
Md, asking MIR. Beck TO send state
ment 10 him at Barnum's, and hs
would send him a check for the amount
Tho statement Was sent rs requested
but Instead of check telegram camt
from Hickman, dated WashiI gtop, ID
O., stating that he would be 10 Dela
ware City in n few days and settle. The
Few days passed by aud Mr.. Beck be
gan 10 feel that he was dealing with
irBt. class swindler. Finally q lette
@ anne from Hickman, containing mott
at four months covering the amour
d no, representing that he hsd been un
able to collect the amount due him, bu
that he had property in Boston wortl
$l8,t and that the note would b
paid ct maturity.
Mr.. Beck, feeliBg that he had beel
outrageously swindled, employed
lawyer Ia Boston to look after his In
iterests and went on himself about tn
frat OF February to hunt mp Hickman
and try TO force q settlement.
He went to hls place OF residenoe, bu
lcould not come up with him. He the
splaced hts claim In tue hands OF bt
,tiewyer and came home. Mr.. Bee
showed a representative of the REPUI
LICAN letter he had received from hi
lawyer, in which he said he lad en-
ployed detective to shadow Hickman
and that he had complete chain
eyidence against him, but just abou
the time be was ready to have him q
rested on a criminal charge he left Be-
ton aud his creditors, and kied off
Canada. Hickman is expected, hov
lever, TO visit Philad phia soon and M
Beck will have q warrant ready for b
arrest.